2racks pork ribsfresh from your butcher if possible
4tbspkosher salt
2tbsppepper
1tbspgranulated sugar
3dried bay leavescrumbled
2tspground cinnamon
1/2cupoloroso sherry
Rinds of 4 lemonspeeled in long strips
3cinnamon sticks
5clovesgarlicsmashed
3whole fresh bay leaves
Rendered pork fatto cover
1/2cupPedro XiménezPX sherry (a good Marsala can be substituted)
1cupPedro XiménexPX sherry vinegar
Instructions
In a large baking dish, combine the salt, black pepper, sugar, crumbled bay leaves, and ground cinnamon, creating a cure.
Place the ribs in the baking dish and toss them with the cure, coating them evenly. Sprinkle with the oloroso sherry. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours.
Preheat the oven to 250F.
Remove the ribs from the cure. Rinse well and pat dry with paper towels.
Place the ribs in a large Dutch oven with the lemon rind, cinnamon sticks, garlic, and whole bay leaves. Cover with the rendered pork fat.
Place the Dutch oven over medium heat and bring the fat to a bare simmer. Remove from the heat.
Cover and place in the oven for 2 hours, until the ribs are fork tender and the bones pull easily away for the meat. Remove from the oven.
Allow the ribs to cool to room temperature in the Dutch oven, and then place in the refrigerator to chill in the confit overnight.
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the PX sherry and the PX sherry vinegar. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the sauce’s volume is reduced to ⅓ cup. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Light a charcoal grill or heat a broiler on high heat (fair warning: The ribs will splatter a lot in an oven, so use caution!). Remove the ribs from the fat, wiping off any excess. Place the ribs, meat-side down, and cook them for 10 minutes, until cooked through and staring to brown.
Glaze the ribs with the sauce on the bone side. Flip them over and glaze the other side.
Continue cooking for 5 minutes, until nicely glazed and just charred a little in spots. Remove from the heat and serve."
I broke this down to one night for rub, baked in Dutch oven the next morning, chilled again then finished off on the grill when we were ready to eat